The Ultimate Ski-Conditioning Class

You work out. You eat right. You just bought a new pair of boards. With two months left before ski season, it's time to take what you've got and make it better. Skiing scoured the nation's gyms and clubs for the toughest ski-conditioning classes in the country. From Tahoe to Stowe, we bribed trainers for their top preseason exercise picks. The result: a custom-built 16-stage circuit-training program that'll take you from summer to ski season in less than 10 weeks. Click on the "Train With the Best" slideshow to meet the fitness-coach dream team; then check out the program.

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THE CIRCUITRun through this program twice a week, along with two days of strength training and three cardio workouts. Rest 48 hours between circuit days, as the plyometrics (explosive moves) in our workout will tax your major muscle groups. Follow each workout with a 15-minute stretch, focusing on glutes, quads, hamstrings, calves, and lower back.Start with 45-second intervals, 10 to 15 seconds of rest; build to 1-minute intervals. Stations alternate in intensity and some progress from aerobic work to strength building to balance. This allows for a rest period following the cardio-intensive stations-but also makes the balance work harder because your leg muscles are whipped. Run through the circuit twice with a 3- to 4-minute rest in between.

Start with the agility run, and then click on the "Circuit" slideshow to continue on. If you want to work on your abs, check out the "Functional Core Exercises" slideshow.

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AGILITY RUN (25-30 MINUTES) TRAINER: LEOPARDI-ANDERSONBegin with a 5-minute warmup run. Then, add foot-to-foot action (shuffling, grapevine) for 30-seconds, followed by a 1-minute jog. For the next interval, add high knees, butt-kickers, or a slalom run around obstacles. With each interval, expect your heart rate to increase 15 to 30 beats per minute from your base heart rate while jogging (130 to 150 bpm). Work towards increasing interval times to 40 to 50 seconds, followed by a 1-minute jog.